1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to waistbelts and, more particularly, to an extendable waistbelt for supporting a backpack on a person""s waist.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Backpacks are well known and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Often a backpack system may have a waistbelt for stabilizing a load contained with the backpack. Such waistbelts are typically constructed of fabric and may provide fabric compression straps that may be sewn directly to the waistbelts. Such compression straps can be attached to a backpack with a common fastener, such as sliding three-bar buckles located on the backpack. Most waistbelts also have fabric buckling straps that may be sewn directly to the waistbelt and may be tightened to allow a user to fasten and tighten the waistbelt securely around the user""s waist. The buckling straps are often threaded through sliding three-bar buckle fasteners, however, other fasteners may be used. Many waistbelts are padded for the user""s comfort and offer support for at least some of the weight of the backpack on the user""s hips. When fit and worn properly, the waistbelt may reduce shifting and swaying of the backpack load on the user""s hips and waist, thereby stabilizing the load.
Previous waistbelts may have included a padded portion on the waistbelt to support the load of the backpack. The padded portion allows the user to comfortably support the load of the backpack on the user""s waist that might not otherwise be possible with bare straps. Such previous attempts at padded portions of waistbelts are usually made with a single, non-adjustable length. Previous waistbelts may include buckling straps which are sewn directly to the terminal ends of the waistbelt and the waistbelt is adjusted to fit various waist sizes by sliding the sliding three-bar buckle fasteners along some portion of the lengths of the buckling straps. Due to the single, non-adjustable length of the padded portion of the waistbelt, there may be many instances in which the padded portion of the waistbelt on the belt itself does not sufficiently surround the user""s waist. Thus, the buckling straps themselves, may have to support a significant amount of the backpack weight, transferring the load from the straps to the user""s hips and waist, which can be very uncomfortable. For example, a person with a larger waist size may be forced to place the sliding three-bar buckle fasteners farther from the belt and padded portion and toward distal ends of the buckling strap to effect a lengthening of the belt. Therefore, a larger portion of the backpack load gets supported on the person""s waist and hips by the uncomfortable buckling straps instead of being supported by the more comfortable waistbelt padded portion.
Adequate support and stability as that of the padded portion of previous waistbelts may not be achieved by the buckling straps. The load that is carried in the backpack may shift and sway substantially. Once the load begins to shift and sway, the waistbelt may become uncomfortable and cause fatigue. Moreover, as previous waistbelts rub against the user""s body, the waistbelt may cause chafing and abrasions.
Many suppliers and retailers of more upscale backpacks have attempted to address problems of past attempts by providing different lengths of waistbelts, which can be installed on particular backpacks to custom fit the backpacks with waistbelts that may match more closely the size of a user""s waist. But this solution has it drawbacks, not the least of which is the necessity of having to carry an inventory of more waistbelts in order to meet the custom sizing requirements. Also a person with a smaller waist cannot wear a backpack fitted with a larger sized waistbelt, so there is little versatility in this approach.
Hence, there is a need for an adjustable waistbelt that offers support to users with different waist sizes, such that the backpack load is stabilized and distributed comfortably around a particular user""s waist and hips.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide support to a user carrying a backpack.
It is a more specific object of this invention to limit shifting and swaying of a backpack load by providing a more comfortable and supportive waistbelt.
It is also a more specific object of this invention to variably extend the length of the waistbelt at which support and comfort are provided by telescoping the length of the waistbelt at terminal ends of the waistbelt.
Yet another more specific object of this invention is to prevent chafing and abrasions to a user who would normally have to rely on buckling straps for support.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and the advantages may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, one embodiment of the present invention may comprise the waistbelt comprising waistbelt inserts that reside in pockets formed in the terminal ends of the waistbelt. The waistbelt inserts may be movably affixed to the terminal ends by means of sliding three-bar buckles attached directly to the waistbelt inserts. Buckling straps that are affixed to the terminal ends of the waistbelt may then be pulled through the sliding three-bar buckles to provide a movable attachment. Adjustment of the sliding three-bar buckle along the length of the buckling strap can then extend the length of the waistbelt.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the waistbelt may alternatively be comprised of straps that harness the waistbelt extensions at the terminal ends of the waistbelt. The waistbelt extensions may be movably affixed to the terminal ends by means of sliding three-bar buckles attached directly to the waistbelt extensions. Buckling straps that are affixed to the waistbelt so as not to preclude a telescoping motion of the waistbelt extensions may then be pulled through the sliding three-bar buckles to provide a movable attachment. Adjustment of the sliding three-bar buckle along the length of the buckling strap can then extend the length of the waistbelt.